Truax went to high school in New Jersey, while Otto grew up in the Eastern Panhandle, graduating from Hedgesville High School.

When it comes to age, they graduated about a decade apart, Truax in 1969 and Otto in 1957.

Article Photos

Submitted photoLocal resident Robin Truax, right, competes for Ocean Township High School, N.J., in January 1967. Like many players in that time, Truax played 6-on-6 basketball, which was the format for high school girls basketball around the country for several decades.

Submitted photoAnnie Otto of Hedgesville, third from left, stands with members of her team that participated in a women’s basketball league in Winchester.

However, when it comes to their basketball pasts, they have a lot in common.

Chief among those similarities, besides a love for the game of basketball, is that both played 6-on-6 basketball.

That's right, a six-person team playing against another six-person team - far different from the five-person set up of the current game.

The old format is just one small part of the evolution of women's basketball, one that has included several rules changes and, of course, the fight for equality for women in all sports in the form of the landmark Title IX legislation, passed in 1972.

Both Truax and Otto were in the thick of this evolution, as they both played in the time of 6-on-6 basketball, which was basically a way of keeping women from overexerting themselves.

"It was still at the time when they didn't think women were capable of running the entire court," Truax said. "They didn't feel we were capable."

Girls were limited in what they could do on the court with 6-on-6 basketball. The basic premise of that format was that each team had six players on the court and players weren't allowed to cross midcourt. Three guards and three forwards from each team were stationary in there positions on both sides of the court.

In some forms, only certain players could shoot, and there was a limited numbers of dribbles for players.

"I started playing basketball in elementary school in the '50s in a recreation program in New Jersey," Truax said. "I can remember limited dribbles, two eventually went to three."

The progression of the game, which is a detailed process, began with things like unlimited dribbles and the addition of "rovers," which were players who could travel the entire length of the court. In most cases, it was one forward and one guard.

"I first played guard when there were six players, and you could not cross the line," Otto said. "Rules changed, and I was the roving forward. Then we went to five players, like it is today. I played center."

As different as the style was then compared to today's game, Truax and Otto had just as different experiences while in high school.

Truax attended Ocean Township High School in Oakhurst, N.J., where she was a standout guard in an area she called "progressive."

The 6-on-6 format never really crossed her mind as unequal or sexist while in high school. It was just the way things were.

"Back in the day, I came from a high school in N.J. in a pretty progressive area," Truax said. "That's why we felt fortunate that we had a venue to play at. It wasn't until I was out of high school that I thought, 'Why are we doing this.' Things were coming up later like Title IX, but we didn't know what we were missing."

Otto, who attended Hedgesville High, missed out on a few years of high school basketball after girls programs were cut in the early '50s.

"I played in high school, but before I graduated, the girls program was cut out," Otto said. "We were all upset, but of course in the those days, no one would even think about a lawsuit."

Where 6-on-6 basketball was absent in some areas, it flourished in others. In Iowa, for instance, the style of basketball was legendary. There have been several books written and documentaries made on 6-on-6 basketball in Iowa, which came to an end in 1993 after several years of resistance.

Oklahoma was the last state to dismiss the style, ending the six-player system in 1995.

Both women continued to be involved in sports after high school.

Truax never played basketball in college because she developed retinitis disease.

"I sat outside tryouts and cried my eyes out," Truax.

However, Truax was still involved in sports while in college as the sports information person for women's basketball. She also served on the Title IX Council, and locally, spent time coaching in the recreation league. She's a big supporter of all the area girls teams, including Martinsburg, where she taught for several years.

In 2004, she was inducted into her high school's athletic hall of fame.

"It was a big thrill," she said.

Otto continued to play basketball for several years, beginning at age 21 when she began playing for a women's league in Winchester, which featured a few other locals.

"Later in life, I found there was a women's league in Winchester. I tried out and played there for many years. We also played men's groups. I also played through the Berkeley County Parks and Recreation league."

Otto keeps up with area girls basketball, specifically the Berkeley Springs girls team, which her granddaughter Lauren Schetrompf is a member of.

Both reflect fondly on 6-on-6 basketball, and Truax, in particular, wishes she would have the chance to dive into the 5-on-5 format a little more.

"I've had male friends tell my dad that I could have been good at the 5-on-5 game. It's a woulda, shoulda, coulda type of thing," she said.

The switch to 5-on-5 basketball was a small step in the evolution of women's basketball, which is still continuing. Truax believes things are heading in the right direction.

"Title IX was certainly a big step," Truax said. "I think another big step was the interests of fathers with daughters. I think they thought, 'Hey, I wanna get involved.'

"Now, were training more women at the college level, where before we didn't gear women into coaching. That's the benefit. There's also equal programs in the area, which is great."